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Michael Johnson vs LSU

Goatcheese

Goatcheese

Texan
I was zeroed in on Michael Johnson in this game, and I wrote down some notes and observations while watching. Unfortunately I saw the ESPN replay, which skipped entire series, so I missed alot.

Beat LT for a QB preasure on LSU's first drive.
Bit on a fake reverse, and gave up on backside contain, giving up a big run.
Continues to display a lack of effort in pursuit of runs away from him.
Unblocked sack. Didn't look very fast, but his long legs ate up the ground quickly. It was a Playaction fake, and he was on the QB by the time he had pulled the ball away from the back.
---
Dropped into zone coverage alot, and didn't look lost.
Looks less explosive and doesn't generate much of a passrush from a standing position(3-4).
Looks lost when asked to line up as a joker/roving linebacker.
Goal line TD run, held his position well, but gave up when the run went to the other side.
Beat an interior lineman on a stunt, but the QB rolled out
Continues to play about half of his snaps standing up.
Looks strong at the point of attack when playing as a down lineman, but quits too often before the play is over.
--
Good pursuit on a bubble pass play on the opposite side.
Often engages blockers and locks on, not attempting to bullrush, or disengage.
The coach should be shot for dropping him into coverage so much.
Most runs go away from him, no matter which side he lines up on.
Missed an easy tackle when a rb cut back towards him. Did not attack the RB in the hole, and waited untill the runner came to him.
---
Good speed rush around the edge on the goal line, but the QB got rid of it quickly.
Did a good job forcing a run all the way to the sideline; prevented a TD.
Good preasure on an inside stunt, forcing a check down. Had his hands on the QB when he threw it.
Sacked the QB on a speed rush in the end zone, forcing a fumble.

It may sound really negative, but I actually thought it was a pretty good performance. I'm not excited about him, but I also wouldn't be upset if the Texans decide to pick him up.
 
nice recap :) can't wait to find out who the Texans hire to run the defense & add to the secondary & line coaching positions. Rod Marinelli could easily improve the DL Texans already have in place & make that next investment really pay off (identify then cultivate that pick). if he signs off on MJ I would expect him to bring out every bit of talent from techniques to intincts. LSU is a good standard to measure him against since they are always loaded with great athletes with NFL size & speed.
 
Just been reviewing some game film of Ole Miss Greg Hardy & he just blows me away, something MJ has yet to do. I don't know have to wait til tomorrow to see him in action against Texas Tech. I really, really think he is the guy, but now I'm not sure he'll still be there if he shows the nation in the Cotton Bowl how he can disrupt that potent high scoring passing machine led by a QB with a chip on his shoulder to prove he belonged in NY. Graham Harrell throwing darts to #1 rated WR Crabtree......:)
 
I was big on Johnson before this game, but I was unimpressed. I saw him get handled by a TE on one play and a WR on another. When the game started, LSU had 2 guys on him, but as the game went on, they went to blocking him with one man as if they weren't afraid of him. I'd be upset if we took him at 15. If we trade down later and can get him, MAYBE that wont be as bad, but I'm suspicious of him...
 
Goatcheese, good write up, I noticed many of the same things in last nights game. Johnson seems to have all the physical measurables to be a great DE in the NFL but I really question his motor/heart and intelligence. He has to know, unless he's stupid, that he's being watched by so many NFL teams and scouts but still we get the poor performances and lack of effort when he should really be stepping up his game. Surely he knows that he's being considered in the 1st round of the draft by many teams and would put forth an effort and performance that would justify that 1st round selection but still we get the poor performances and lack of effort. What this tells me when everyone is watching and he still underperforms to his potential is that maybe he just doesn't care or what we see is the best that he has and he's not going to get any better.
 
I was pretty unimpressed myself. I don't think he warrants the 15th overall pick. I mean, you look at his attributes and think he should be dominant. I'll take a closer look at Hardy tomorrow. I already know Orakpo is a baller.
 
nunusguy said:
Generally speaking dosen't seem to be rated as high as Orakpo, Johnson, or Brown ?
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I look @ ratings, they come in one ear & go out the other. real live scouts are another thing, in the coming weeks McClain will base opinion on trusted sources real scouts, same with LZ all here locally as they address Texans needs with the best fits available. come this April I expect their choices to be narrowed, consolidated sealed & signed off by McNair.

don't be surprised if Greg Hardy is the man called or that someone here on this board on New Years day made that call ahead of the herd :)
 
Hardy is a total stud....one of the top ends in a superior college football conference, but hasn't he been suspended by the team once or twice? Seems like McNair is scared to death of possible controversies.

Here's why Ole Miss' Greg Hardy should be on your radar:

• The 6-foot-5, 255-pounder is a wrecking ball powered by jet engines. He leads the team in sacks with three, in tackles for loss with 7½ and is third on the team with 35 tackles.

• As a hobby, he lines up as wide receiver and catches touchdowns. He has three career TDs, two this year. (Leading the Rebels in TD receptions this season with four is Mike Wallace. Expect an expose about him soon on 60 Minutes.)

• In the spring, he played on the Ole Miss basketball team -- again, as a hobby. He worked his way into the lineup past the guys who are in Oxford on actual basketball scholarships.

• He is probably the only person on the planet who has played against the defending champ Florida basketball and football teams. Yeah, Joakim Noah and Tebow won those games, but he was in their faces making them sweat for it, and you weren't.

• Coming out of Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, his nickname was "The Freak." I know this because in the book The Blind Side, Michael Lewis interrupts his story about Ole Miss' recruiting of left tackle phenom Michael Oher to devote half a page to tell us that thanks to Hardy's "lightning reflexes and sprinter speed" that "The Freak was a quarterback's worst nightmare."
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http://www.sportsline.com/spin/story/10376291
 
Hardy is the most talented of the DE prospects this year. He's much quicker, and more agile than Johnson, even if they're about the same in a foot race.

Unfortunately he doesn't care about football, to the point he just randomly skips practice, and team meetings. He also seems to get injured quite a bit, and doesn't show alot of desire to work hard, and rehab. To make things worse, he's been benched for lack of effort. His motor, and effort issues are MJ^2.

When he's playing full tilt I liken him to Strahan.
 
I was high on MJ, but have cooled on him lately. He does seem to take a lot of plays off & rarely pursues a play on the opposite side. I won't be upset if the coaches believe they can coach him up, but I'm starting to lean more & more towards us taking one of the 2 big DT's (Cody or Raji) with our first. Although, I think Ron Brace in the 2nd or 3rd round could be a good move as well.

If we could get Brandon Graham (DE) or Everette Brown (DE) in the 2nd round we'd be set on the DL.
 
Goatcheese said:
Hardy is the most talented of the DE prospects this year. He's much quicker, and more agile than Johnson, even if they're about the same in a foot race.

Unfortunately he doesn't care about football, to the point he just randomly skips practice, and team meetings. He also seems to get injured quite a bit, and doesn't show alot of desire to work hard, and rehab. To make things worse, he's been benched for lack of effort. His motor, and effort issues are MJ^2.

When he's playing full tilt I liken him to Strahan.
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Wait, are you talking about Hardy? Because I haven't heard anything about these issues, except he was injured (foot injury) this year. If he has effort/motor issues, I hope we stay away from him. Not good to hear.
 
Its not only possible but probable Hardy has been distracted from football. he excells in all sports & loves to compete. Greg Hardy appears to be "freak" package of size, speed & intincts, think a Kearse clone. is that such a bad thing? is he not excatly the type of dynamic atheltic playmaker the Texans need oppsosite Mario Williams?

lets see in a few hours against Tech, then tell me he lacks focus or takes plays off like MJ :)
 
IMO he is POS! I watched the game with an open mind hoping people were wrong about him and came away disgusted with what I saw. No thanks. If he goes before lat 2nd round it will be on potential only.

Looking forward to watching Hardy tomorrow.
 
mussop said:
IMO he is POS! I watched the game with an open mind hoping people were wrong about him and came away disgusted with what I saw. No thanks. If he goes before lat 2nd round it will be on potential only.

Looking forward to watching Hardy tomorrow.
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You were disgusted by 2 sacks, 4 QB pressures, and a forced fumble?
 
Goatcheese said:
You were disgusted by 2 sacks, 4 QB pressures, and a forced fumble?
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I was disgusted by the effort. Like Hottoddie said "he takes a lot of plays off & rarely pursues a play on the opposite side." There were many plays were he just looked like he wasnt interested in being in on the tackle. And this is with him knowing there are many scouts watching him. Pathetic!!!!!




Beat LT for a QB preasure on LSU's first drive.
Bit on a fake reverse, and gave up on backside contain, giving up a big run.
Continues to display a lack of effort in pursuit of runs away from him.
Unblocked sack. Didn't look very fast, but his long legs ate up the ground quickly. It was a Playaction fake, and he was on the QB by the time he had pulled the ball away from the back.
---
Dropped into zone coverage alot, and didn't look lost.
Looks less explosive and doesn't generate much of a passrush from a standing position(3-4).
Looks lost when asked to line up as a joker/roving linebacker.
Goal line TD run, held his position well, but gave up when the run went to the other side.Beat an interior lineman on a stunt, but the QB rolled out
Continues to play about half of his snaps standing up.
Looks strong at the point of attack when playing as a down lineman, but quits too often before the play is over.
--
Good pursuit on a bubble pass play on the opposite side.
Often engages blockers and locks on, not attempting to bullrush, or disengage.The coach should be shot for dropping him into coverage so much.
Most runs go away from him, no matter which side he lines up on.
Missed an easy tackle when a rb cut back towards him. Did not attack the RB in the hole, and waited untill the runner came to him.
---
Good speed rush around the edge on the goal line, but the QB got rid of it quickly.
Did a good job forcing a run all the way to the sideline; prevented a TD.
Good preasure on an inside stunt, forcing a check down. Had his hands on the QB when he threw it.
Sacked the QB on a speed rush in the end zone, forcing a fumble.

It may sound really negative, but I actually thought it was a pretty good performance. I'm not excited about him, but I also wouldn't be upset if the Texans decide to pick him up.


How can you say it was a pretty good performance with the bolded out statements???? No way I use a first round pick on a guy who only plays when he feels like it. This guy doesnt deserve to go in the first round at all. He only deserves to go in the second because of his physical abilities. He is just to risky for this team at this point. we cant afford to take a chance on this kind of player.
 
mussop said:
How can you say it was a pretty good performance with the bolded out statements????
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Because it was a pretty good performance?

Positive 10
Neutral 2
Negative 6
Split 2

2 of the ones you highlighted Johnson played well, untill he stopped pursuing. The positives also have alot more impact than the negatives.

I'm not an MJ fan, but I don't see how he's as bad as everyone says. At the end of the day the kid didn't play all out, and still almost had 6 sacks. I'll take lazy dominance over all out heart, and getting dominated any day. If a coach can motivate him Johnson will be an elite DE. If not he's still going to be a pretty good NFL starter.
 
Goatcheese said:
Because it was a pretty good performance?

Positive 10
Neutral 2
Negative 6
Split 2

2 of the ones you highlighted Johnson played well, untill he stopped pursuing. The positives also have alot more impact than the negatives.

I'm not an MJ fan, but I don't see how he's as bad as everyone says. At the end of the day the kid didn't play all out, and still almost had 6 sacks. I'll take lazy dominance over all out heart, and getting dominated any day. If a coach can motivate him Johnson will be an elite DE. If not he's still going to be a pretty good NFL starter.
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We'll just have to agree to dissagree on this. To me the negatives outway the positives. I dont want a player that doesnt play with heart no matter how talented he is. I really dont want to spend a high first round pick on him.
 
nero THE zero said:
What other game(s) have you seen that he didn't give any effort in?
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Clemson Oct 18th is the game that really stood out to me. Not sure why he was playing like that though. 2 of his better games were the week before, and the week after. 5 Solo tackles , 5 assisted tackles, 3 solo TFL, 3 assisted TFL, 1.5 sacks the week before. 4 Solo tackles , 2 TFL, 1 sack against future top 10 pick Eugene Monroe the week after.

Official stats vs LSU are in: 1 assist, 2 solo, 1 assist for loss, 2 solo for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble.
 
Goatcheese said:
Clemson Oct 18th is the game that really stood out to me. Not sure why he was playing like that though. 2 of his better games were the week before, and the week after. 5 Solo tackles , 5 assisted tackles, 3 solo TFL, 3 assisted TFL, 1.5 sacks the week before. 4 Solo tackles , 2 TFL, 1 sack against future top 10 pick Eugene Monroe the week after.

Official stats vs LSU are in: 1 assist, 2 solo, 1 assist for loss, 2 solo for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble.
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I watched the Clemson game. IIRC he had a couple of PD and several pressures.
 
I think he was recruited to play Tight End. Everyone here knows that Kubiak and Smith like raw athletic guys who have Big Time Potential (Mario, Okoye, Brown, Molden, Jones). I will not be shocked to see us pick him up.
 
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